In the ongoing democratization of gaming hardware, AULA has brought the F87S mechanical keyboard to market at $89.90 — a price point that once could not have accommodated features like 8,000 Hz polling, gasket-mounted construction, and tri-mode wireless connectivity. The release reflects a broader pattern in consumer technology: capabilities that once defined the premium tier gradually migrate downward, reshaping what buyers expect at every price. For the competitive gamer or the deliberate typist, the question of what constitutes 'enough' continues to shift.
AULA F87S Brings 8K Polling, Gasket Mount to Budget TKL Gaming Keyboard
Pack features gamers want at a price that doesn't require saving up
Mark
Why does an 8,000 Hz polling rate matter for a keyboard at this price point?
Mimi
Most people won't feel the difference in everyday typing. But in competitive gaming—especially fast-paced shooters or fighting games—even a few milliseconds of delay can cost you a round. At $89.90, AULA is saying: you don't have to choose between affordability and responsiveness.
Mark
What's the actual advantage of gasket mounting over a traditional keyboard?
Mimi
It's about how the keyboard feels and sounds. Gasket mounting suspends the switches instead of bolting them down hard. Combined with those five layers of foam, it absorbs the shock of each keypress. You get a softer, more muted typing experience. It's a technique that used to only appear on $200+ boards.
Mark
The battery situation seems odd—two 5,000mAh cells instead of one 10,000mAh. Why?
Mimi
Probably engineering constraints. Two smaller batteries might fit the compact TKL layout better than one large one, or they might balance weight distribution. From a user perspective, it's the same 10,000mAh capacity either way.
Mark
Can you actually use the 8K polling rate over Bluetooth?
Mimi
No. Bluetooth's protocol can't sustain that speed. You get 8K polling over USB or 2.4 GHz wireless. Bluetooth is there for convenience—maybe you want to switch between devices—but it trades speed for flexibility.
Mark
What does it mean that the switches are hot-swappable?
Mimi
You can pull out any switch and replace it without a soldering iron. Want to try different switches to find what feels best? You just pop them out and swap them in. It's a feature that used to require technical skill or sending the keyboard to a shop.
Mark
Is this keyboard actually competitive with boards that cost twice as much?
Mimi
In raw features, yes. You're getting gasket mounting, 8K polling, wireless capability, and deep customization. Where a $200 board might win is in build quality, brand reputation, or aesthetic refinement. But on the spec sheet, AULA is punching above its weight class.
Il Polso
- The gap between budget and premium gaming keyboards is narrowing fast, and the F87S arrives as a direct challenge to the assumption that quality construction demands a premium price.
- Gasket mounting, five-layer acoustic dampening, and hot-swappable switches — features that once justified $150+ price tags — are now bundled into a sub-$90 tenkeyless board.
- An 8,000 Hz polling rate across both wired and 2.4 GHz wireless modes removes a longstanding tradeoff between convenience and competitive responsiveness.
- Dual 5,000mAh batteries, deep key remapping, SOCD support, and four distinct color-and-switch pairings give buyers unusual flexibility at this price tier.
- AULA is positioning itself as the value-oriented answer to established gaming peripheral brands, betting that performance and customization outweigh brand prestige for cost-conscious players.
In the ongoing democratization of gaming hardware, AULA has brought the F87S mechanical keyboard to market at $89.90 — a price point that once could not have accommodated features like 8,000 Hz polling, gasket-mounted construction, and tri-mode wireless connectivity. The release reflects a broader pattern in consumer technology: capabilities that once defined the premium tier gradually migrate downward, reshaping what buyers expect at every price. For the competitive gamer or the deliberate typist, the question of what constitutes 'enough' continues to shift.
AULA has updated its compact TKL keyboard line with the F87S, a successor to the 2023 F87 that brings premium-tier features down to $89.90. The tenkeyless form factor preserves the function row while shedding the numpad, keeping the footprint manageable for most desks.
The construction centers on a gasket-mount system that suspends switches to absorb impact rather than transmitting it rigidly through the board. AULA reinforces this with five layers of dampening material — PORON foam, a switch pad, a PET acoustic layer, bottom foam, and a silicone base — producing a softer feel and quieter sound profile than traditional builds. The 8,000 Hz polling rate ensures keystrokes register with virtually no perceptible delay, a detail that matters most to competitive players.
Wireless operation draws from two 5,000mAh batteries totaling 10,000mAh of capacity, supporting weeks of use between charges. The keyboard connects via USB Type-C, 2.4 GHz wireless, or Bluetooth, with the 8K polling rate available on the first two modes. A CNC-machined volume knob with an RGB ring handles media controls and customizable functions.
For gamers, the F87S includes SOCD support to prevent conflicting directional inputs, Hold/Tap for context-sensitive key behavior, Toggle mode, and Combo Key for multi-action bindings — all backed by 77 remappable functions. Switches are hot-swappable linear types, each color variant paired with a different model: Martin, Seiya, Haitang, or Feichi.
The F87S is a calculated bet that budget-conscious gamers prioritize performance and flexibility over brand names — and that a well-built compact keyboard at an accessible price will find a ready audience.
AULA has refreshed its compact TKL keyboard line with the F87S, a successor to the 2023 F87 that brings several features once reserved for premium gaming boards down to the $89.90 price point. The new model keeps the tenkeyless footprint—smaller than a full keyboard but still retaining the function row—while adding an 8,000 Hz polling rate, a construction method called gasket mounting, and the ability to swap switches without soldering.
The gasket-mount system is the kind of detail that matters to people who spend hours typing or gaming. Rather than switches bolted rigidly to the circuit board, they're suspended in a way that absorbs impact and reduces harshness. AULA layers this with five separate dampening materials: PORON sandwich foam, a switch pad, a PET acoustic layer, bottom foam, and a silicone base pad. The effect is supposed to feel softer and sound less harsh than a traditional keyboard. The polling rate—how often the keyboard reports its state to the computer—sits at 8,000 times per second, fast enough that competitive gamers won't notice lag between a keypress and the game registering it.
Power comes from two 5,000mAh batteries bundled as a 10,000mAh total capacity, enough to run the keyboard wirelessly for weeks between charges. The F87S connects three ways: wired via USB Type-C, wirelessly at 2.4 GHz, or over Bluetooth. The 8K polling rate works in both wired and 2.4 GHz modes, though Bluetooth typically can't sustain that speed due to protocol limits. A new CNC-machined button with an RGB ring handles volume control, muting, and other customizable functions.
For gamers, AULA packed in several specialized features. The keyboard supports SOCD (Simultaneous Opposite Cardinal Directions), which prevents conflicting inputs—useful in fighting games. Hold/Tap lets a single key behave differently depending on how long you press it. Toggle mode locks a key in the on position. Combo Key lets you bind multiple actions to one press. Beyond these, the keyboard offers 77 customizable functions through extensive key remapping, meaning almost any key can be reprogrammed to do almost anything.
The F87S ships in four color schemes, each paired with a different switch type. Black Mist Transparent comes with Martin switches. Oreo pairs with Seiya switches. Pink White Peach uses Haitang switches. Rainbow Candy comes with Feichi switches. All are linear switches, meaning they have no tactile bump—they're smooth from top to bottom, favored by gamers who want speed over feedback. The switches are hot-swappable, so users can pull them out and replace them with different ones if they want to experiment.
At under $90, the F87S represents a deliberate strategy: pack features that gamers actually want—high polling rate, wireless capability, customization depth, quality construction—into a form factor that fits on most desks, at a price that doesn't require saving up. AULA is betting that budget-conscious gamers care more about performance and flexibility than brand prestige, and that a compact keyboard with solid fundamentals will sell better than a full-size board with fewer features.
Citazioni salienti
AULA seems to be trying to offer a combination of features and quality in a budget-friendly package— TechPowerUp reporting
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